Friday, February 04, 2005

The purpose of this blog

The purpose of this blog is to provide information to the online seller community.

The changes in the online seller world happen so rapidly that it is difficult to keep up. There are so many conflicting sources of information out there that it is difficult to get a handle on what is going on and to determine the best practices to follow.

With OnlineSellerInfo the Blog I want to give information and provide internet links, books and places on the net that I think will help all online sellers. It does not matter if you are a beginning seller or if you have been doing this for years, changes that effect your business or hobby come along everyday. And it takes a great deal of dedication to stay in the know.

A little information about me. I am an online seller who has been selling vintage collectibles for two years via eBay, iOffer and Amazon. I have experimented with using Craig's List as a way of selling collectibles also. I am a ferocious reader of any thing about online selling. I read the information provided by the online selling venues and try to make heads or tails of it, this alone is a full time job. I also have been tracking many forums, message boards and discussion groups over the last two years and feel that I have watched the trends well enough to have a good handle on what is going on.

One point that I want to make here in the beginning is that there is no "right way to sell online." I am not advocating that my way is the right way or that it is the only way. I want to dispel this idea right at the start. There are models of selling. Some sellers are hobbyist, others are part timers who do it to supplement their incomes, and for others it is their professions. And if you do not believe that selling online can be someone's profession take a look at the fortune five hundred companies that sell on eBay and via other online methods.

Some sellers sell books, some sell collectibles, some sell music, and still others sell CDs/DVDs/VHS Tapes and the list could go on and on. Just go to eBay which is the largest of the online auction sites and take a look at the categories that they have listed and you will get.

Things that effect the kind of seller model that you may want to use.

Why you sell.
What you sell.
Where you are located.
What online services you use.
What skills you have.

Who can benefit from selling online.

The small hobbyist seller. Many people who are artist or crafters can increase their sells by learning to sell their items online. They can increase the audience for their items by placing them online.

The small business seller. If you have a small business then you are missing out if you are not taking advantage of the many online tools that allow you penetrate more markets. To reach more customers faster and to deliver better customer service and to increase the returns on your investment.

Large to medium business sellers. The online selling world offers large to medium business sellers some particularly effective opportunities. Because unlike the hobbyist and small business sellers large to medium size sellers have the man power, and creative tools to make the best use of what is out there in the online world.

Having stated my purpose for this blog and introduced myself a little, I'd like to make a step in the direction of my stated goal and offer you an article in the latest USA Today.